In Britannia Salutem

[Lindseyman]

Koell Prydain

Koell Post Prydain was a king of Rheged in the North of Post Roman Britain.

According to the Old Cambrian genealogies of the Library of Went, he was a son of Urien ap Coel Hen. Later Cambrian genealogies insert two generations between Koell and Urien by making the former a son of Cai ap Coel ap Urien ap Coel, but this presents chronological problems.

The older genealogies and some Cambrian and Rhegedian traditions maintain that he abdicated around 465 AD in favour of his cousin Urien after the death of his wife and son due to treachery. Despairing of the world he retreated to a monastery.

In genealogical and literary sources, he is known by his epithet 'Post Prydain' meaning "the Pillar of Britain". This was earned through his defence of Rheged against various incursions of the Picts.

A later tradition, which is unattested before the 14th century, identifies Koell with the eponymous founder of St Koell's Church, Llankoel (at Llankoel, Anglesey). The first author to record it is antiquarian Henry Rolfsson (d. 1723), who writes that "Koell, frequently called Post Prydain, i.e. the Support of Britain, for his great valour against the Picts and Scots, retired here [in Anglesey], and built his church at Llan Koell. "The identification appears to go back to at least the 14th century, when a stone cross was erected in the ruler's memory in the abbey's churchyard. Cambrian poet Lewis ap Padrig reports that the memorial cross was discovered there around 1650. The monument bears the carved image of a king and an accompanying inscription. The inscription is in part illegible, but the following reading has been suggested:

Hic iacet Ko[ell] Post Priid Co[nf Gr] … [t]el ma[ginem obtulit]

"Here lies Koell the Upholder of Britain, Confessor, Gruffudd ab Ithel offered (this) image"

In the absence of any early evidence that the northern ruler ever travelled south or abdicated to devote himself to the church, the tradition is probably spurious. The identity of the historical Koell who did give his name to the church remains unknown.

NOTES:

1. Just for once old oral tradition is actually correct and the modern historians are mistaken in their pontification. St. Koell was actually Coel the son of Urien. However the vagaries of survival of records through the East Angle invasions of the late 6th century and the Norse and Danish invasions of the 9th led to the amalgamation of Urien and Virianus (also known as Urien) into a single rather long lived entity!

2. I’d left Coel “hanging” somewhat so decided to show how he would be remembered in modern times.

3. I’ll get back to the story next post. I know what I want to happen and how but the words just aren’t flowing at the moment

 

[Lindseyman]

Nepotianus

Nepotianus smiled wryly at the sounds of celebration that were seeping into his tent. Granted they had just defeated the invasion force of various tribes near the eastern end of Lacus Peisodis but at what cost! The army had already been half destroyed by the disaster at Bolia and now it had been further reduced in achieving this victory. Somehow the Roman troops had borne the brunt of the fighting and hence the heaviest casualties whilst the Ostrogoths had swept in at the end and finished the battle.

He now had nowhere near enough troops to hold the limes and was in no position to refuse Theodomir’s likely demands of Pannonia as well as Dalmatia. In actual fact he would not be able to stop Theodomir also demanding Noricum and Raetia, although the Burgundians already occupied most of the latter!

Damn Majorian! Why had he had to march further into Gepid territory? Everything had gone wrong since that decision (which he admitted to himself he had fully supported at the time). Well his life could be measured in days if not hours once news of what he was going to have to do reached the Senate. He idly wondered who would take the purple, poisoned chalice that it was. The best choice would be Avitus as Emperor with Aegidius as Magister Militum. Between their families they controlled most of Gaul and Aegidius also had the tacit support of the Britannians, and their war leader Artos, and Armorica.

However that almost certainly meant that that wouldn’t happen, unless….

Nepotianus swung round and snapped at his aide

“Fetch Centurion Crispus at once!”

He winced, he had made a very bad decision. He just hoped that it wasn’t too late to rectify it.

A few minutes later Crispus together with his shadow Eugenius arrived.

“Crispus, I want you and your men to desert.”

“Pardon, Imperator?”

“You heard me. I have a mission for you. You are to search for and find Guitolinus. Once you have found him take him to Aegidius and most of all keep him alive!”

Nepotianus paused then continued

“I have already ordered his death but you are likely to be far faster than any countermanding message that I now send. Especially if you just disappear! Guitolinus apparently had vanished before my previous order could be carried out. I suspect divided loyalties on the part of the one to whom I sent the order but perhaps that’s just as well. He will be hard to find as he won’t want to be discovered but follow rumours of a holy man and you should reach him.

I know that you want to search for Geladius. However if he is still alive I would think that he also is trying to reach Guitolinus given the orders that I gave him even if the reason is now officially deceased!”

Crispus and Eugenius saluted and left. Nepotianus sat on his bed and thought hard. Just who had actually given the orders to the Ostrogoths? Theodomir was a brave and charismatic leader and he wouldn’t have left the Romans so long before arriving. No. whoever gave those orders had an eye to the future and a better knowledge of strategy than Theodomir. Given the news and rumours that had reached him from Constantinople he feared that he already knew the answer to his question.

 

[Miguel Lanius]

Everyone is feeling mighty manipulated right now. I wonder what is the end goal of all this manipulation that goes as far as Britannia.
Is this Julius Nepos or is it another man with a similar name?
Romans so backstabby, one has to wonder if the fall of the empire wans't a good thing

Question: Why is the Eastern Empire so bent on screwing over the West? Zeno wants to become sole Emperor?

 

[Lindseyman]

Everyone is feeling mighty manipulated right now. I wonder what is the end goal of all this manipulation that goes as far as Britannia.
Is this Julius Nepos or is it another man with a similar name?
Romans so backstabby, one has to wonder if the fall of the empire wans't a good thing

Question: Why is the Eastern Empire so bent on screwing over the West? Zeno wants to become sole Emperor?

To answer your questions:
1. All the manipulation is to gain power in the Empire, except the Persians who just want both the Empires in trouble for their own ends. If Constantinople is looking west rather than east then it's very happy.
2. Nepotianus is possibly the father of Julian Nepos, There is some dispute over this.
3. Leo is still Eastern Emperor at this time. Zeno hasn't made his power grab yet but has seemingly got rid of Aspar.

 

[Lindseyman]

Somewhere in Noricum

Geladius walked around the campsite checking that the sentries were awake. He himself couldn’t get to sleep and so decided to do something and try and think what to do next. It had been a fraught day or so after they had broken out of Carnuntum but they had managed to shake off, the admittedly desultory, pursuit and had managed to strike westwards. He thought that they were now in Noricum but wasn’t quite sure where exactly but if they were to head into Italia then they were going to have to turn southwards soon. They had kept to the countryside and had avoided any roads. They had managed to live quite well off game that they had caught and from scavenging in some abandoned villages but they were beginning to feel more like a war band than a Roman unit and it worried him.

He checked on the last sentry and went back to the camp fire. There he found Cerdicus also awake.

“You neither.” stated Cerdicus.

“Na” replied Geladius.

Cerdicus placed some more wood on the fire

“I’ve been thinking. My life could well be in danger wherever I go. Perhaps it might be better for me to strike out for Britannia.”

Geladius nodded

“I agree with you that Britannia might be safer than elsewhere. However are you sure how you will be received there?”

Cerdicus smiled

“The unacknowledged bastard son of Artos. Na, I’ve no idea but it might well help in trying to claim my adopted father’s throne. I need to build a power base to be able to do that and my life chances in Italia are slim to none. In Britannia I can build anew and wait out the chaos that is going to consume the Empire at least in the short term.”

“Unfortunately I agree with you. However we need to find out what is happening.”

Geladius sighed

“I’m just a primus pilus, all this politics is way above my pay grade. However we all swore an oath to you as our choice as Emperor. I shall fulfil that oath to the best of my ability and so I think will the men.”

He paused

“Well at least those who have been with us from the beginning. I’m not so sure about those who were originally stationed at Carnuntum. Even so they must know who you are by now and have not yet tried anything. Following you to the ends of the known world however is a big ask for them.”

“We’ll give them the choice” stated Cerdicus.

“What if they make the wrong one?”

Cerdicus grinned

“They won’t!”

The next morning they held a meeting of the men. To his dying day Geladius could not explain how Cerdicus did it. However by the end of the meeting all the men had sworn oaths to follow Cerdicus wherever he went.

However Cerdicus had insisted on one thing

“We are a Roman Unit and shall remain so. We shall retain discipline and Geladius is our Commander.”

So the unit formed up and marched into the hills and into history.

 

[Lindseyman]

Viroconium

It was autumn once again which meant the Council meeting in Viroconium. As usual nowadays the organisation went like a smoothly oiled machine. The housing of all the Lords went without a hitch, indeed the magistrate couldn’t believe his luck. There were always disputes between the Cambrian Lords about who had the best site but not this year!

Similarly there were no disputes about whom sat where in the actual council meeting and there were only very minor scuffles between various household guards which were swiftly dealt with by the Commander of the garrison. There were a few bruises and several had to sleep off the effects of too much drink in the newly constructed cells but that was it.

The meeting however did have some major issues to discuss. Britannia itself was at peace. There had been no raids at all that summer even from the Hibernians. The ships patrolling from Monoida reported that they encountered no raids even setting out. It appeared that the Hibernians were too preoccupied with their own disputes about the power being taken by the “High King” Aillil Molt, who seemed to be trying to set up a system similar to the Council of Britannia but was encountering resistance from the Kings of some areas.

“I don’t know whether to wish him success or not “mused Utha.

“True” replied Virianus

“If he establishes effective control the raids might start again despite what has happened to the most recent ones!”

A long time was spent discussing the situation in the old Saxon lands. Hussa reported on what he had found about the Franks taking control of the area and that tribes were still heading westwards following the Huns. Reports from Syagrius in Gaul seemed to confirm what Hussa had found. It was decided that not much could be done but that patrols would be mounted in case raids started up again from that area.

Much more disturbing was the information contained in Syagrius’ reports about the state of the Empire. Nepotianus had been killed by a disgruntled commander after he had ceded control of Pannonia and Noricum to the Ostrogoths. That Commander had in turn been killed by Theodomir. What the long term effect would be was uncertain but Roman control now effectively ended at the Alps. It was also apparent that Theodomir was being “advised” by Aspar who had fled the Eastern Empire after losing a power struggle with Tarasicodissa (although he was now calling himself Zeno to better ingratiate himself with the eastern court) whom it appeared had the support of Leo the Emperor.

“We are in for a period of instability in the west” noted Utha.

“However, all we can do is watch from the side-lines although we will support Syagrius and his father in Gaul if asked. It seems that Avitus is now Emperor and Aegidius the Magister Miitum. However there is little love between the two but at the moment they are working to try to create some stability. May they be successful! Our current prosperity depends in a large part with the trade that is ongoing between Britannia, Gaul and Hispania. It would not take much for that to be disrupted to our detriment.”

The final piece of news was a good one. Artos announced that Findabair had born him a son Ambrosius Aurelianus Amarandus.

“He is healthy and certainly has a good set of lungs! However Findabair pronounces Amarandus as Amharandus, so he is being called Amhar”

 

[Hecatee]

So they have no idea yet of the trouble heading their way under the guard of a small retinue of former roman legionaries, do they ?

 

[Lindseyman]

So they have no idea yet of the trouble heading their way under the guard of a small retinue of former roman legionaries, do they ?

Not in the slightest!

 

[Lindseyman]

Myth: Emperor Cardice

The perfect Emperor. Ruled Hallia ( not the modern Hallia, but the post Roman one, comprising the Roman Provinces of Gaul (all 3), Belgica, Hispania and some of Italia ) during a Golden Age with the wizard Merlin at his side, but fell to treachery, and now sleeps, waiting for Hallia's hour of greatest need. Subject of many a Chivalric Romance, long known as the "Matter of Hallia," alongside the Matter of Prythland (the stories of Artos, Ambrose and finally Constantine) and the Matter of Rome (the Trojan War, The Aeneid, Alexander the Great). Judging by number of manuscripts, it was the most popular of the three; there are even such romances written in Hebrew.

A somewhat tragic figure, in most versions of the mythos Cardice is the rightful heir to the throne who brings order to the land by defeating his rivals and other threats — and then tries his best to be a good ruler, assembling the Knights of the Round Table to serve as paragons of chivalry. His rule is ultimately undone by the plots and shortcomings of his own followers and family. Authors eventually expanded this to include his own failings as a husband in trying to be the perfect Emperor. His rule comes to an end when he is forced to fight Magoranne, his own traitorous son (and/or nephew). Nevertheless, the romantic Cardician legend stands for all that was noble and good in the medieval ideal of chivalry, and of how a perfect Emperor/king should be: compassionate, decisive and just.

Some of the legends also foretell his return to Hallia in its greatest hour of need. What he will do when he finds it overrun by the descendants of the tribes he used to fight (and later occupiers) is anyone's guess.

Suffers heavily from Anachronism in almost every depiction in literature, where Emperor Cardice and his knights are wearing shiny full plate armour and live in magnificent Gothic castles, both of which didn't appeared until around the 15th and 16th century (the legends of Emperor Cardice, for reference, are mostly set during the 5th and 6th centuries, a good millennium before those things were developed). The first known Cardician stories are set almost a thousand years earlier, in a time of collapsing Roman infrastructure.

NOTE:

1. This is an excerpt from the ITTL Video Tropes article.

2. Hallia is the ITTL modern equivalent of France, likewise Prythland is Britain.

3. Cerdic does become ITTL’s version of the legendary Arthur, but as well as the legendary Cardice there is the historical Cerdicus (think of Charlemagne in the OTL Matter of France).

 

[Lindseyman]

The Lay of Rhodri

The Lay of Rhodri is an epic poem based on the Battle of Willross in 928, during the reign of Constantine. It exists in various manuscript versions, which testify to its enormous and enduring popularity in the 12th to 14th centuries.

The date of composition is put in the period between 1040 and 1115: an early version beginning around 1040 with additions and alterations made up until about 1115. The final text has about 4,000 lines of poetry. The epic poem is the first and one of the most outstanding examples of the heroicis, a literary form that flourished between the 11th and 15th centuries and celebrated legendary deeds.

Set in the reign of Constantine the Wise, it was written much later. There are nine extant manuscripts of the Song of Rhodri. The oldest of these manuscripts is held at the Caedmonian Library at Karbrok. This copy dates between 1129 and 1165.

Some scholars estimate that the poem was written, possibly by a poet named Taliesin [1], between approximately 1040 and 1115, and most of the alterations were performed by about 1098. Some favour an earlier dating, because it allows one to say that the poem was inspired by the Hellian campaigns of the 1030s[2], and that the poem went on to be a major influence in the First Italian War[3]. Those who prefer a later dating do so on grounds of what they interpret as brief references made in the poem to events of the First Italian War.

The Plot

Constantine's army is fighting the Vikings in Tir y Daniaid (OTL Danelaw). They have been there for seven years, and the last city standing is Karbrok, held by the Viking King Ragnall. Threatened by the might of Constantine's army, Ragnall seeks advice from his wise man, Thorfinn, who councils him to conciliate Constantine, offering to surrender and giving hostages. Accordingly, Ragnall sends out messengers to Constantine, promising treasure and Ragnall's conversion to Christianity if the Prydannians will go back to their own lands.

Constantine and his men, tired of fighting, accept his peace offer and select a messenger to Ragnall's court. The protagonist Rhodri, Constantine's nephew, nominates his stepfather Cadwallon as messenger. Cadwallon, who fears to be murdered by the enemy and accuses Rhodri of intending this, takes revenge by informing the Vikings of a way to ambush the rear guard of Constantine's army, led by Rhodri.

As Cadwallon predicted, Rhodri leads the rear guard, with the wise and moderate Gaheris and the fierce Archbishop Cai. The Vikings ambush them at Willross and the Christians are overwhelmed. Gaheris pleads with Rhodri to blow his horn to call for help, but Rhodri tells him that blowing his horn in the middle of the battle would be an act of cowardice. If Rhodri continues to refuse, Gaheris will not let Rhodri see his sister again whom Rhodri loves the most. However, Archbishop Cai intervenes and tells them that the battle will be fatal for all of them and so instructs Rhodri to blow his horn. The King hears the call on their way home. Constantine and his noblemen gallop back even though Count Cadwallon tries to trick them.

The Prydannians fight well, but are outnumbered, until almost all Rhodri's men are dead and he knows that Constantine's army can no longer save them. Despite this, he blows his horn to summon revenge, until his temples burst and he dies a martyr's death. Angels take his soul to Paradise.

When Constantine and his men reach the battlefield, they find the dead bodies of Rhodri's men, who have been utterly annihilated. They pursue the Vikings into the river Cald, where the Vikings drown. Meanwhile, Gyrd, the powerful King of Denmark, has arrived in Tir y Daniaid to help Ragnall. His army encounters that of Constantine at Willross, where the Christians are burying and mourning their dead. Both sides fight valiantly. When Constantine kills Gyrd, the Viking army scatters and flees, leaving the Prydannians to conquer Karbrok. With Ragnall's wife Bramimonde, Queen of Karbrok, Constantine and his men ride back to Went, their capital.

The Prydannians discover Cadwallon's betrayal and keep him in chains until his trial, where Cadwallon argues that his action was legitimate revenge, not treason. While the council of barons assembled to decide the traitor's fate is initially swayed by this claim, one man, Caddo, argues that because Rhodri was serving Constantine when Cadwallon delivered his revenge on him, Cadwallon's action constitutes a betrayal.

Cadwallon's friend Owain challenges Caddo to trial by combat. By divine intervention, Caddo kills Owain. By this the Prydannians are convinced of Cadwallon's treason. Thus, he is torn apart by having four galloping horses tied one to each arm and leg and thirty of his relatives are hanged.

The History

There are several sources contemporaneous with the Battle of Willross.

There is a brief entry in the Saecson Chronicle for the year 928 which states

“Rhodri ap Rhodri died fighting in Karbrok”

There are also entries in the Annals of both Rheged and Arfon and also in the Council records kept in the Library at Went which make reference to this battle. It would seem to the people of this time this battle is barely worth a footnote.

The site of the Battle of Willross has been shown to be near present day Pontecalld (OTL Hebden Bridge). There have been weapons of the right period found here regularly throughout history but it was the programme “Tim Amser” fronted by Antonius ap Robbynn [4] which actually discovered the body of Rhodri which led to the famous archaeological dig organised by the University of Karbrok.

It is now possible to piece together what is most likely to have occurred.

Rhodri ap Rhodri is described in the Annals of Arfon as a brave but opportunistic military leader. There are many complaints that his troops always turned up after the actual battle was won but in time for them to honestly say that they had taken part and be able to take a full part in any looting that occurred afterwards.

It would seem that after Constantine (the then leader of the Council) and Ragnall had agreed to peace and the integration of Karbrok into the Council, that Rhodri took it into his head to ravage the area near Pontecalld as the local leader had slain his brother Idwal in the final stages of the siege of Karbrok. He did this without Constantine’s knowledge or approval and after Constantine had departed for the Council meeting at Went.

The local levies fought Rhodri at Willross and defeated and slew him.

Origins of the Lay

So why the legend and the lay? Arfon became very disillusioned during the early 11th Century as it felt that it was being left out of the burgeoning economy of Prydannia. It began looking backwards for tales of how this had always been so and Rhodri, who had become somewhat of an idealised figure, became the focus of a national myth of how Arfon had always been abandoned by the rest of Prydannia. However Constantine was a revered figure even in Arfon so the blame was shifted to an invented character, Cadwallon [5].

It helped that whoever composed the Lay was a literary genius! He wrote an epic poem pulling in imagery from all the traditional Cambrian stories to weave a tale that appealed to the inhabitants of Arfon but bore little resemblance to what actually happened.

In the present day the Lay is not considered to be a reliable source for the Constantinian era but is rightly regarded as one of the masterpieces of Prydannian literature and for showing Arfon’s inferiority complex at its time of composition.

[1] Taliesin must have been extremely long lived! Any poem of unknown origin was always attributed to him even centuries after his actual death.

[2] When Prydannia became involved in the struggle of who ruled Normandy (there was extensive Viking settlement in Neustria ITTL as well).

[3] The first of several wars to liberate Roma from the Byzantines.

[4] Some television programmes straddle the multiverse!

[5] It is no coincidence that this character is named after the greatest villain of 7th Century Prydannia.

 

[DaveB]

the programme “Tim Amser” fronted by Antonius ap Robbynn [4]

[4] Some television programmes straddle the multiverse!

Love it.

 

[Lindseyman]

The Swords Trilogy by Rosmary Jorgsdottir

A self-contained trilogy within this author’s series of books about the history of a family from Roman to modern times. These three are primarily aimed at an adult readership rather than children but have been popular ever since they were first published in the 1960s.

The Sword in the Evening

The first book is the story of Artos the Bear, legendary War Leader of the Council of Britannia in the late 5th Century. It follows his unexpected rise to power and his successful campaigns against the Suetids, Franks and Visigoths. It also explores his unlikely friendship with Ebissa founder of Norsaecs and the years of peace that followed. The book then deals with the crises late in his life when he once again had to take up arms, this time against the Roman Emperor Cerdicus, his own bastard son.

The Sword at Midnight

The second book is about Ambrose of Venta, Artos’ descendant who leads the resistance against the Ostanglii despite the mistrust of the other British lords and manages to drive them back to Ostanglia. It also deals with how he deals with the renewed mistrust between the British Lordships and the original Angle Lordships of Deira and Lindsey including the former’s union with Brigantia through Marriage.

The Sword at Dawn

The third book of the trilogy deals with Constantine of Rheged who reforms the Council of Britannia and defeats the Norse and Danish invaders eventually incorporating them into the Council. This book also deals with the Lay of Rhodri, stripping back the layers laid over it especially in the 14th and 15th centuries to the original story of pride and betrayal. It ends with the peaceful handover of power from Constantine to Eadwulf of Norsaecs and the optimism that Britannia is once more re-emerging into the sunlit lands of civilisation.

NOTE: I WILL get back to the story soon. I have been suffering, if not writer’s block then, a lack of vision about this story recently. Hence all the material about legends and this post. However things are beginning to fall into place!

 

[DaveB]

So Rosemary Sutcliff also spans the multiverse. I'm good with that.

 

[chr92]

Love Rosemary Jorgsdottir!

 

[Lindseyman]

Myrddin

Myrddin was ambling along a mountain trail in the Apennines. He was keeping away from the main roads. He didn’t want to make Polonius’ task of hunting him down too easy! Also he deliberately took his time. He couldn’t explain why but it just felt the right thing to do. So he wandered from village to village, helping people with their problems and being paid with shelter and food. The people of the mountains had always been an independent lot even more so since the authority of Roma had been waning since the start of the century, so he doubted that any would tell of his passing.

He was enjoying the clear blue skies and the sunshine when he noticed flocks of birds wheeling in a rather haphazard manner. Then he felt it. It was if there was something moving deep down in the ground. Then it stopped. Myrddin cursed he recognised the signs even Roma had earth tremors. He was in precisely the wrong place. He was on a narrow trail. Well there was nothing for it he would have to just hope that it was an isolated tremor.

His luck ran out. About an hour later the pounding started again except it was louder. He began to notice the ground beginning to shake slightly. Dust and gravel were beginning to bounce up and down like flour in a sieve. Myrddin was too old to do anything more than just lie down on the ground and pray. The ponding grew stronger and louder and the ground began to shake more violently. Myrddin stayed put he was in no more danger here than anywhere else in the vicinity. Trees began to shake loose and boulders were rolling down the slopes, luckily not near him! After what felt like an eternity the pounding on the ground got weaker and weaker and eventually stopped.

Myrddin got up and hurried down the trail which by some good fortune was still passable. There would be further tremors and those could be more dangerous than the initial one as they could shake free things that had been loosened the first time! It took him longer than it would have done normally as he felt dizzy and more than once he pulled himself up short before he fell off the trail and descended the mountain rather faster than he intended.

Indeed there were further tremors but these were much fainter. Still he knew that they could keep happening for days if not weeks. He kept on the trail rounded a bend and stopped. There was a small village in front of him. Or rather there had been! All that was left now were some ruins and the sounds of lamentation. There was no choice! He went into the village and started to help.

 

[Some Bloke]

Any chance of some threadbare for a comprehensive reread? Great TL.

 

[Oldbill]

It's always a good day when we get an update here.

 

[Lindseyman]

Any chance of some threadbare for a comprehensive reread? Great TL.

Threadmarks added. They make some sort of sense (I hope!)

 

[Lindseyman]

Crispus was concerned. It had taken them 2 months to get to this region of Italia. Nearly as soon as they had “deserted” Nepotianus had been assassinated and as far as anyone else was concerned they had deserted. They had found that out the hard way when a patrol had tried to bring them back in. It had been a rout because the officer leading the patrol had been an idiot who wasn’t fully trusted by his men. Crispus had offered the few survivors of the patrol a choice, join him or die. Not surprisingly they had joined him. That same scenario had played out on another couple of occasions and now Crispus found himself leading a half century rather than a dozen men. Still all of them were survivors and they had made their way cautiously towards the Apennines.

Then the Gods (Crispus was by no means a committed Christian) had had their little joke. There had been a series of earth tremors, which had cost him four men, and then the heavens had opened. The rain had caused mudslides. These had not cost him any more men but they had turned the area into an almost impenetrable morass of loose slopes, and most of the mountain tracks and roads had been destroyed.

A scout came back

“Report”

“There is a village up ahead. It seems relatively intact. There is an old man who seems to be giving orders. They refer to him as “Accipitus”.”

Crispus smiled

“I think that we have found our man!”

Didius the Decurion looked at him.

“I thought that we were looking for Guitolinus?”

“Accipitus is a form of one of his other known aliases. Nepotianus gave me the names under which he had previously travelled.”

“What are we to do with him?”

“One thing at a time, Didius. Let’s get him first. Form the men up. We’ll march in like a regular patrol. There can’t have been too many of them recently given the situation. Also tell the men no looting. These people have been through enough recently we won’t add to their troubles unless there is no alternative.”

So the men marched into the village. They were regarded with suspicion until Crispus and Didius got them to start help to move large timbers and help clear a path to the local stream, which luckily had not changed course too much. After a couple of days of hard labour the soldiers were welcomed by the villagers (some of the younger ones very enthusiastically by the local girls!) and defences were dropped.

Crispus had had several talks with Accipitus and had come to like and respect the old man. It didn’t change his determination to carry out his orders but it did change his mind about how he was going to carry them out.

One evening Accipitus came to talk to Crispus.

“You are not a regular patrol. So who are you?”

“You ask now after all the help we have given?”

Accipitus smiled

“Your men bear the insignia of several different units. You are not normal deserters as you act like a regular unit and have not taken advantage of the villagers, well except those who wanted to be taken advantage of!”

“We all have our secrets, even you Accipitus. Or should I call you Guitolinus?”

Accipitus sighed

“What gave me away?”

“Your name. It is the Latin form of Hawk and I believe that Myrddin is one of your aliases.”

Guitolinus, for indeed it was him, looked steadily at Crispus.

“You are a sharp one. Why are you here?”

“Nepotianus sent me to look for you. He had changed his mind about having you killed. My orders were to get you to Aegidius, alive and in one piece!”

“Why?”

“He had come to the conclusion that you were about the only one capable of saving any of the Empire from the current mess.”

“Well Aegidius and Syagrius are the best hopes for military success unless Artos comes across from Britannia. So that makes sense.”

Guitolinus sighed

“I don’t like leaving these people. It has been a relief to help them recover from the recent disaster. No looking over my shoulder for a dagger in the night, just people helping each other.”

Crispus nodded

“I know what you mean.”

He smiled

“I rather think that some of my men will be willing to stay. That actually might be for the best. I only really trust my original men on this mission.”

Guitolinus smiled in return

“I agree. Come on. Let’s get organised.”

 

[Lindseyman]

Many thanks to @chr92 and @Hecatee for nominating and seconding this thread for a Turtledove. It is much appreciated.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Eucherius, Bishop of Venta, looked at the other Bishops of Britannia.

“This idiocy has to stop. Remember Our Lord himself said “Render unto Caesar”

Valentius, Bishop of Eboracum replied

“No one is contesting the rights of the Lords to rule, just their attempts to tax us.”

Eucherius sighed

“When was the last time any of your properties were sacked by invaders?”

Valentius squirmed slightly

“Over 5 years now.”

“Why is that?”

“Because of the better trained troops and the better roads which mean those troops can move faster.”

“Indeed and how were those better trained troops produced?”

Valentius gathered himself together

“Stop twisting my words Eucherius! That is a secular matter taxing us is breaching the line into the spiritual!”

“Is non-payment of those who repair our churches or build new ones?”

“If they choose to donate their time and labour it will be rewarded in heaven.”

“Being rewarded in Heaven does not feed you or your children in this world! Some of your contractors have had to approach you for aid. I have also noted that you are fast enough to claim payment for funerals, christenings and weddings.”

Valentinus grew red in the face

“Your priests do likewise!”

Eucherius nodded

“Indeed they did. However they no longer do so. All payments in my area of responsibility are now made in a timely fashion.”

Eucherius looked at the others

“I happen to agree with you about the payment of taxes but you are going about it the wrong way!”

“How?” asked Patricius, Bishop of Isca.

Eucherius smiled

“Too many remember the bad times of the last fifty years. If we let the Council maintain peace and stability people will eventually question why we should pay taxes to maintain so many troops. They will also accept that we should be exempt from paying even those taxes that remain. After all we are educating the young and they will accept our word.

We will not win this argument but the Church will.”